The ruling on having multiple mosques in the same neighborhood

Question:
May Allah reward you and bless you. Which is better, Honorable Shaykh? This questioner from Alafalad asks: Is it better for the mosques to be close to one another or far apart? And what is the ruling on building more than one mosque in a single neighborhood?

Answer:
The requirement is that the largest number of Muslims gather for the Friday prayer, because it is not like the daily prayers; the largest number gathers for it. Mosques are not to be multiplied in a town except out of necessity, such as when the mosque is too small and another is needed, or when the distance between the mosques is far. In that case, there is no harm in having multiple mosques for the sake of necessity. However, multiplying mosques without necessity is not prescribed, because it divides the Muslims and diminishes the importance of the Friday prayer in the minds of the common people. They do not prepare for it as they should, and the large gathering that is required does not take place. Yes.